Antoine Alléno’s Death: Eight-Year Prison Sentence Demanded for Driver

On October 31, the prosecutor demanded an eight-year prison sentence for Franky D., accused of killing Antoine Alléno, son of chef Yannick Alléno, in a drunken driving incident in 2022. After speeding at 120 km/h in a stolen Audi RS6, he crashed into Antoine and a colleague, resulting in Antoine’s death. Franky D., who had a prior conviction for speeding, expressed remorse but attributed the incident to alcohol impairment. A ruling is expected on November 28.

‘Those who push the limits deserve the consequences’. On Thursday, October 31, the prosecutor sought an eight-year prison sentence with immediate detention for Franky D., charged with the drunken driving death of Antoine Alléno, the son of chef Yannick Alléno, in 2022. During the Paris correctional tribunal proceedings, the prosecutor also called for a ten-year driving ban for the reckless driver. The case has been set for deliberation, with a decision expected on November 28 at 1:30 PM.

On the evening of May 8, 2022, 24-year-old Antoine Alléno finished work at the restaurant and was riding his scooter home with his colleague, Anisa. They were singing at a red light when, suddenly, they were struck at high speed by Franky D., who was driving an Audi RS6 without a license. Antoine succumbed to his injuries, while Anisa sustained only minor injuries. Investigations revealed that Franky D. had been speeding at 120 km/h in a 30 km/h zone in the VII arrondissement. He first collided with a VTC vehicle and then a taxi, losing control before hitting the scooter. He fled the scene on foot but was apprehended shortly thereafter.

I have committed the irreparable

Franky D., the accused driver

‘One of the happiest nights of my life turned into a nightmare’, Anisa recounted in court. She noted that Antoine secured her helmet before putting on ‘his own’; his helmet was later found several meters away.

As he stepped forward in the courtroom, filled to two-thirds capacity, 27-year-old Franky D., a member of the traveling community, expressed his hesitation, starkly contrasting his imposing stature. ‘I admit to all the facts’ except for the violence, he stated, as a valet had accused him of hitting him while stealing the vehicle outside the restaurant where he had spent the evening.

Franky D. attributed his lack of recollection to excessive alcohol consumption that day—he recorded a blood alcohol level of 1.56 g/l roughly two hours after the incident. However, the court presented witnesses and footage indicating he ‘did not appear to be staggering’. His responses, though partial, demonstrated he was ‘aware of the pain and harm’ he had caused, remarked Joseph Cohen-Sabban, one of his lawyers. When asked by the judge, the defendant admitted, ‘I don’t particularly like speed, but I love powerful cars’, specifically mentioning the RS6, which he knew had ‘600 horsepower’.

In 2018, he lost his driving license due to speeding. ‘I have committed the irreparable’, expressed the father of two young daughters. He insisted that, without alcohol, ‘this would never have happened’. ‘Alcohol is not a mitigating circumstance’, countered Valérie Munoz-Pons, one of the civil party’s lawyers.

I lay down on my son, I screamed

Yannick Alléno, Antoine’s father

‘I lay down on my son, I screamed’, a deeply emotional Yannick Alléno recounted as he recalled that tragic evening. When the chef arrived at the scene, he immediately recognized his son, who ‘was wearing his striped socks’. Since the incident, he has become a passionate advocate for establishing a ‘road homicide’ offense, a proposed law that was set to be discussed in a second reading in the National Assembly before its dissolution in June. ‘I try to serve others to give my life meaning’, said Isabelle Alléno, as the family established an association in memory of Antoine.

As the civil parties spoke, Franky D. and his two co-defendants, also charged with joint theft, remained somber. The prosecutor requested six months in prison for René A., 47, and nine months suspended for 20-year-old Sniper G.

Franky D., who appeared in court free but under judicial supervision, is facing involuntary manslaughter charges with at least two aggravating circumstances. Having already accumulated six convictions on his record at the time of the incident, he faces up to ten years in prison and fines of €150,000. He

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